"We know that the nurses are facing an uphill battle to provide excellent care as they are overwhelmed with a number of factors that are outside of their control. The A&E at Brighton simply isn’t fit for purpose – the population has grown so quickly since it was built that it cannot cope with the sheer number of patients coming through the doors. This then has a knock on effect elsewhere in the hospital.

“The nursing team will be devastated to receive this report and yet remain dedicated to providing the best care they can as they are professionals. No patient should ever have to receive care in a corridor and patients deserve dignified care at all times. This isn’t a problem unique to Brighton, but it is an indication that unsafe staffing levels mean that the appropriate standards can’t always be met.

“We have been in constant touch with managers over the past weeks. There is no quick fix for this, the Trust need to prioritise supporting their staff to provide the best care they can and the government need to look urgently at how Trusts such as Brighton are given proper, sustainable funding to allow them to meet the needs of the population they serve.”